The present invention relates to dishwashers for cleaning dishes and cutlery and more specifically to an automatic door for such dishwashers.
A residential dishwasher may provide a washing chamber into which soiled dishes are placed and held by racks or the like. At the time of washing, the door to the chamber is closed and the dishes are sprayed with hot, soapy water. The door may include a gasket sealing the door against the chamber to prevent water leakage during the spraying process.
Properly compressing the door gasket may require considerable force. This force may be applied by a vigorous pressing against the door by the user or by a lever-action latch offering sufficient mechanical advantage to compress the gasket with motion of a lever or the like. Such latches can be cumbersome to operate and require adjustment over time as they wear and the compliance of the gasket changes.
Just as it is desirable to seal the washing chamber during the washing process, it is desirable to vent the washing chamber when the dishes are drying. This venting may be accomplished through baffled ducts incorporated into the door passing moist air but preventing the passage of liquid water. Alternatively, electrically actuated shutters on door vents may open during the drying process. These latter electrically operated vents have the advantage that they may be closed during the washing cycle to reduce the transmission of noise into the kitchen. Vents suitable for this purpose are taught in co-pending U.S. Pat. No. 6,293,289 issued Sep. 25, 2001 and assigned to the assignee of the present invention and hereby incorporated by reference.